Among the most striking changes proposed by architect Paola Spivach was the idea of scrapping traffic lights at the junction of Alcester Road and Salisbury Road.

She said any project would make the area more friendly for shoppers, allow the current farmers’ market to expand and increase the use of green space on St Mary’s Row so it could be used for concerts.

Seating areas along the road edge and bike racks in a central reservation could create a continental-style cafe culture.

“Shared space is about changing drivers’ behaviour with the design and activities of the road,” said the architect, who works for Bristol-based Hamilton-Baillie Associates.

“By making cars share their space with other road users, they will be forced to slow down.

“Signs which tell people to go or stop encourage aggressive driving.

“This is about treating the streetscape in a way that means people want to be there.”

Members of Moseley Forum invited designers to draw up the blueprints after becoming alarmed at proposals for a red route along the A435 to speed up traffic. They say the shared space would help to maintain traffic flow at busy times by keeping cars moving at a slower speed, rather than stopping them at red lights.

Forum committee members hope Moseley could become a pilot scheme for similar areas in Birmingham.

But they will have to overcome scepticism from highways engineers and fears among some residents that the new road layout would make it difficult for blind people or the disabled to cross roads.

Forum chairman David Isgrove said: “We’ve all seen when the traffic lights are out that the traffic flows better through Moseley. We already claim back part of the road for the farmers’ market and I hope people will view this as an extension of that.

“People in other areas of Birmingham have talked about this but are ahead of the game and we would like to a pilot scheme for the city.”

Shared space expert Ben Hamilton-Baillie met with the city council’s transport scrutiny committee earlier this year to explain the theory behind the idea of shared space areas.

But engineers say they are concerned about being sued if an accident occurs after they have pulled back from regulating the flow of traffic.

Coun Ernie Hendricks (Lib Dem, Moseley and Kings Heath) said he believed that those behind the scheme would have to work hard to convince its critics.

“Anything that encourages trade and makes the area look better is an attractive proposition,” he said.

“But residents have raised one or two good points which need to be looked at bit closer.”